They used patterns from two books in the Auckland Museum collection - Soldiers' and Sailors' Comforts and The Red Cross Record. Read their reviews.

Cover of Soldiers' and Sailors' Comforts.

Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Soldiers' and Sailors' Comforts

Long soldier’s socks, page 1

4 x size 12 needles

"Very wordy old pattern. Some skill needed to 'turn' the heels." Josie Roberts

Helmet with ear slits, page 3

5 x size 12 needles, 4 ply wool

"The pattern was quite difficult to follow and probably assumed a fair degree of expertise. It was a great challenge and I really enjoyed talking about the project with family and friends and had to seek advice from some knitting experts to complete the piece. It took me about 5 days."Arwen King

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Comforts book included four knitting patterns for helmets.

Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Bag mitten, page 4

4 x size 10 needles, 4 ply wool

"Needle size; changed from 12-10. Pattern assumed expertise, but was not difficult to follow. A pleasure to be part of the Home Front experience, 100 years late!" Anne Warren

Chest and neck protector, page 5

2 x size 11 needles, 3 ply wool

"Pattern assumed you know how to knit it. Thank the internet for YouTube. Pattern wordy and only comprehensible in retrospect." Linda Adams

Fingerless mittens, page 5

4 x double pointed size 12 needles, 3 ply wool

"Tried doubling the 3 ply – lovely and thick but thought it wouldn't have as much dexterity if loading a rifle etc. So used 3 ply and increased the number of stitches and rows to give reasonable size mitten." Jenny Potter

Muffler, page 7

Size 8 needles, 3 ply wool

"Have to concentrate because the pattern is irregular."Cynthia Dove

Two patterns for a cholera belt.

Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Cholera belt, page 12

Size 13 and 14 needles, 4 ply wool

"Found out that cholera belts were recommended during the time of the British troops being in India - it was considered that cholera came from getting a chill. It was not until after the First World War that it was discovered to be water borne." Lois Ahlquist

The Red Cross Record.

Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

The Red Cross record

Quickly Made Sock, page 9

"Very impressed with the pattern, very clever design and very clear instructions. These socks are knitted from the top down to the end of the toe with no seams; the pattern gives exact instructions as to how to sew the toe end and results in the stitches 'woven' together in a flat seam. I would think they would be very comfortable to wear."Florence Bentham

Gloves, page 14

4 x Size 13/14 size needles, 5 ply wool

"The wool supplied was probably too soft and fine for a soldier's use. There also appeared to be an error in the pattern when knitting the fingers. "Marguerite Durling

Knee warmers, page 16

4 x Size 8 and 10 needles, 8 ply wool

"As the pattern was for 4 ply wool I worked with a larger gauge of needles and less stitches for the ribbed stretchy bit. For the kneecap I used a smaller gauge of needle so that the knee warmers did not end up with baggy knees. No baggy knees in the army!"Lindsay Smith

Knee caps, page 16

4 x size 13 needles, 3ply wool

"Tried another pattern first but that was going to fit my cat's knees!! These ones are still very small so I would make them bigger next time - bigger needles and 4ply."Kirsten Butt

This book includes patterns for a soldier's cap, a bed sock and a knee cap.

Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.

Post by: Auckland Museum

Auckland War Memorial Museum tells the story of New Zealand, its people, and their place in the Pacific.